Kenosha’s primary homeless shelter is opening up its doors for people who used to rely on a low-barrier shelter that was forced to close last spring because of neighbor complaints.
In a move funded jointly by the city and county, the Shalom Center will make available through April ten cots at its new center on 39th Ave. Guests won’t face the normal deadlines for leaving, but will have to first meet with a counselor under contract with the county.
Shalom Center Executive Director Lynn Biese-Carroll says she doesn’t believe that everyone eligible for the shelter will take advantage of the offer. "This is a challenging group of people," she said. "We will do our very best to offer a safe, comfortable, fair and progressive place for them to live."
In order to handle the influx, the Shalom Center will hire the F-T-E of one-and-a-half additional staff, paid for by the county and city.
Officials are calling the extra beds a temporary move that’ll be reviewed once the cold weather season is over.
The Shalom Center moved into new and larger quarters three months ago. Since then, 162 men, women and children have been served, including 23 children.
A local clergy group had conducted a campaign to persuade local officials to find some type of replacement for First Step, the low-barrier shelter that closed. They’re calling Tuesday's announcement a big step forward.
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